an unprecedented wave of homicides, the state of emergency introduced

Salvadoran prisoners in their underwear were unceremoniously taken from their cells. Their mattresses were confiscated by guards. These images were released by the Presidency of El Salvador. This is a state threat to gangs to come after their incarcerated members if they don’t stop killing. “These criminals are going to know they are going to suffer for all the pain that their fellows inflict on the honest people of this country.“, assured Osiris Luna, director of prisons in El Salvador.

El Salvador is hit by an unprecedented wave of homicides. According to authorities, 87 murders were committed in three days, including more than 60 in just 24 hours on Saturday March 26. The crimes were attributed to drug gangs, believed to number nearly 70,000 in the country. To stem this violence, the Salvadoran parliament has largely approved the establishment of a state of emergency for a period of one month. Last year, El Salvador recorded 1,140 homicides, the lowest figure since the end of the civil war in 1992.